


There and Back Again Part 1

by Carisa_Ironfell



Series: There and Back Again [1]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Battle of Five Armies - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bilbo is lonely in the Shire, Dwarves eat everything, Dwarves in the Shire, Everyone lives, Gen, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Slow. Burn., The brothers are loud, This is a series :), Thorin is awkward, We're sorry, Writers can't math but that's not important, causing trouble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21639823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carisa_Ironfell/pseuds/Carisa_Ironfell
Summary: Bilbo gets some unexpected guests at tea. No plates were harmed in the making of this story. Or birds.
Relationships: eventual Thorin Oakenshield/Bilbo Baggins
Series: There and Back Again [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559959
Comments: 4
Kudos: 117





	There and Back Again Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer! My lovely sister wrote this, not me. I am posting it on my account because she doesn't have one of her own. Thank you for reading, and we hope you enjoy!!! :)
> 
> Also! A little backstory, because things are different. Bilbo snuck away immediately after the Battle of the Five Armies while they were taking care of the wounded, and went back to the Shire.

“You seem different, Master Bilbo,” the Gaffer said, dumping an armful of twigs into his wheelbarrow.

Bilbo shrugged, carefully placing stakes around the sapling he’d grown from the Mirkwood acorn.

“My adventure isn’t something anyone in the Shire wants to hear about,” he said finally, putting off Hamfast’s curiosity.

Not that Gaffer Gamgee had a lot of curiosity. It wasn’t considered a trait of many hobbits and certainly not the ones living in Hobbiton. He missed answering questions, like Kili and Fili’s endless questions about second breakfast and other hobbit meals. 

Bilbo wondered with a painful twinge if they had instituted it in Erebor yet. He’d been back for less than a year, but his memories of his adventure were surfacing with unexpected intensity as winter turned to spring.

The Gaffer only grunted in response and went back to trimming the hedge.

Bilbo went into his hole and checked his pantry. After the Company had joined him unexpectedly, he always made sure to keep enough food on hand to feed a lot of dwarves, just in case they ever came back.

Not that he expected them to. Thorin would be consumed with ruling as King Under the Mountain and he would need his trusted Company about him. Bilbo sighed and started gathering the ingredients for a solitary tea. Hamfast would go home to his family for tea and Bilbo had become a bit of a recluse after he’d come back. All his relatives were uncomfortable around someone who had come back from the dead and the Sackville-Bagginses still hadn’t forgiven him for being alive.

He put the kettle on and fiddled with his plate of cakes, putting off the meal. Not because he wasn’t hungry, but because he didn’t really want to sit at his table alone. Maybe he’d take his tea in the garden with his Mirkwood sapling.

Bilbo had just poured the hot water into his teapot when the doorbell jangled. He frowned. Who could that be? He made sure he was presentable and went to get the door.

“Mister Boggins!” a hearty voice exclaimed the second Bilbo had swung his door open and a heavy weight dropped on him.

Bilbo staggered a little. “Kili?”

“Step back, brother, you’ll crush him,” said another too loud voice and Kili’s weight vanished.

“Fili?” Bilbo asked and yes, the dwarven brothers stood on his doorstep, eyes bright with excitement. They were the same as the last time he’d seen them, except for being muddy instead of bloodied.

“It’s good to see you,” Fili said, clapping Bilbo on the shoulder and sliding past him. Kili beamed and rushed after his brother. Bilbo watched them vanish into his hobbit hole, a bit overwhelmed. He checked the front walk, half-hoping to see the rest of the Company.

He didn’t see anyone else.

Bilbo sighed and went to make sure Fili and Kili weren’t throwing his plates around again.

“And that’s when Bard put his foot down,” Fili finished and slugged back his third mug of tea.

“Right on old Dorlin’s beard,” Kili snickered.

“Sounds like you have been busy,” Bilbo said, pouring another kettle of hot water into his teapot. He wanted to ask about Thorin, but he couldn’t figure out how to ask. Besides, it was difficult to get a word in edgewise with the brothers when he couldn’t overpower them with volume.

“Very busy. The elves won’t say much to us, but they still trade with the Lake Men, so we learn enough. Planning the rebuilding of Dale has been a trial on everyone, but now that spring’s come again, we can finally get to work,” Fili agreed.

Bilbo nibbled on a teacake, unsure if he really wanted to know how Thorin was thriving under the Mountain. He was proud of Thorin for reclaiming his birthright, but how could the King still be friends with a simple Hobbit?

Best not to concern himself.

“Thorin had business in Bree, but he should be here within a few days,” Kili said. “He wants to talk to you about something.”

Bilbo quickly gulped some tea to cover up his surprise.

“Unless you don’t want to see him,” Fili added. “He was worried you might still be upset about the dragon-sickness. He’s still well, we figured out how to clean the treasure so that no one else would fall into the sickness.”

“Of course not! Thorin is always welcome at Bag End,” Bilbo blurted out and felt his face heat up. “I just didn’t expect him to come all this way when he has so many responsibilities. Being King must take all of his time.”

He was babbling, but thankfully Kili and Fili were oblivious. They finished inhaling his tea things and tumbled out into the garden. Bilbo hastily cleared up, swept the crumbs into a napkin, and followed them. Dwarves never watched where they put their feet and the Gaffer would never forgive him if they trampled the flowers.

“Is this the acorn you picked up in Mirkwood?” Kili asked the second Bilbo made it into the garden.

“Yes. It’s grown rather well here, all things considered,” he replied and shook the crumbs onto the grass. He liked birds to come into his garden.

“Poor reward for everything you did for us,” Kili said quietly, his dark eyes going distant. “Why did you leave without saying good-bye?” he asked abruptly.

Bilbo sighed. “My job was done. I felt that none of you would really want me to hang about. Thorin was furious about the Arkenstone, so I thought I’d better not keep reminding him about it.” He shook his head. “Perhaps it was selfish, but I wouldn’t have had a hole to come back to if I’d stayed longer. They all thought I was dead here and I came home to find an auction of all my belongings!”

“No!” Fili exclaimed, looking up from where he had been stalking a sparrow.

“Yes, and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins tried to take all my spoons,” Bilbo said. He was able to laugh about the absurdity of it now, but he had been very upset at the time.

They stayed in the garden until sundown, had the best meal Bilbo’d had in months, and he finally got them settled into the guest rooms of Bag End. At least two dwarves were easier to handle than thirteen, he thought, climbing into his own bed. They still made the same amount of racket though…


End file.
